UH-60 Black Hawk

The soldiers were killed when their Black Hawk crashed in a field southwest of St. Cloud on Thursday.

The Minnesota National Guard will release the names of the deceased crew members on Saturday.

The condition of the National Guard members aboard remains unclear.

The National Guard lost contact with the helicopter shortly after it took off on a maintenance test flight from St. Cloud.

James McMahon served 16 years in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and then later as a member of the elite Delta Force.

Army aviation officials say that the budget stalemate could delay a step in the effort to develop a futuristic helicopter.

Maj. Trevor Joseph, commander of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment, was killed during a helicopter crash.

The soldiers in the Black Hawk were assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment, at Polk.

The helicopter will perform combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all U.S. military services.

The Army is looking at the high-altitude chopper school as an asset that can save lives.